Poor online customer support highlights bigger issues

We have all experienced poor online customer support at some point in the past. But despite its prevalence this is not an easy problem to fix.

I have had a nightmare couple of weeks. It feels like every time I have ordered something online, things have gone horribly wrong. Sites have had inaccurate information, products have been dispatched to the wrong address and customer service departments have just stopped replying to my emails.

I am sure you can identify with this experience. Its all too common.

As I often do I decided to turn this experience into a blog post. This time I decided to write a piece about online customer service for Econsultancy.

The post begins by identifying the common problems that users experience when dealing with online support. However, when I got to some suggestions about fixing the problem, things got complicated.

A culture incompatible with the web

As I thought about it, I realised that the issues surrounding bad customer service were extremely deep-rooted.

The truth of the matter is that many companies are just not setup to work well on the web. They were founded before the web had emerged and their whole culture is largely incompatible with the way the web works.

Many companies are just not setup to work well on the web. They were founded before the web had emerged and their whole culture is largely incompatible with the way the web works.

It is a serious problem and explains why a new breed of company is emerging that is surpassing the old guard in countless sectors. These companies think differently and are fundamentally built around providing a great online service.

If you have a moment, read my Econsultancy piece and let me know whether you agree. Am I being too pessimistic or are some companies doomed to fail, because they either can’t or won’t change their outlook?

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About Paul Boag

Paul Boag is a user experience consultant, author and speaker. He helps not-for-profits such as the European Commission, UCAS and Doctors Without Borders adapt to the digital world. He refocuses them on user experience and engaging with a new digitally savvy audience. All the while pursuing his not-so-hidden agenda.